Bean to Business
We started a chocolate factory with zero experience in chocolate. Bean to Business is a weekly show from the team at Hill Country Chocolate in Fredericksburg, Texas. We make bean-to-bar chocolate—starting with raw cacao beans and turning them into finished bars right here in our production facility. Every week, we pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to run a small manufacturing business. The wins. The mistakes. The stuff nobody warns you about. We talk about sourcing ingredients from around the world, working with Italian production equipment, building a brand in a tourist town, and figuring it out as we go. Sometimes we bring in guests. Sometimes we just answer your questions. If you're running a small business, thinking about starting one, or just curious what happens inside a craft food operation, this show is for you. New episodes drop weekly.
Episodes
Should you start a business in 2026? In this episode of the Being 2 Business podcast, Dan and Melanie of Hill Country Chocolate dive deep into the real-life journey of turning a side hustle into a full-fledged business. With stats showing a surge of entrepreneurial interest, they break down what’s behind the trend, share their own startup stories (from baking cookies and crafting chocolate in a pool house to launching a thriving ch...
Why do customer reviews matter so much for a small business—and what should you do when someone leaves a bad one?
In this episode, Melanie asks Dan everything small business owners need to know about reviews. They cover why reviews now affect how you get found on Google and AI search tools like ChatGPT, whether it matters if customers leave reviews on Google versus Yelp versus TripAdvisor, and why you legally cannot offer discounts ...
40% of our customers found Hill Country Chocolate through ChatGPT last December. Not Google ads. Not SEO. Not social media.
In this episode, Melanie flips the script and asks the marketing questions small business owners actually have: Where should I advertise with a limited budget? How do I know if my ads are working? Should I hire someone to run my social media? And what is generative search anyway?
Whether you're in hospitali...
What should you do in Fredericksburg? When's the best time to visit? Where can you eat without a reservation?
We get asked these questions constantly at the chocolate factory. So in this episode, Dan and Melanie finally answer them—with nearly 30 years of local knowledge between them.
In this episode, we cover: When to visit to avoid crowds (hint: the week after school starts). Restaurants where you can walk in without...
Ever wondered what it actually takes to turn chocolate craft into a dependable manufacturing business? We pull back the curtain on our Fredericksburg factory and walk through the real decisions behind the glass: why we chose a wine region, how we built from an empty shell with European machines and food‑grade air, and what automation looks like when labor is scarce but quality has to sing.
We talk candidly about first-year...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
The Dan Bongino Show delivers no-nonsense analysis of the day’s most important political and cultural stories. Hosted by the former Deputy Director of the FBI, former Secret Service agent, NYPD officer, and bestselling author Dan Bongino, the show cuts through media spin with facts, accountability, and unapologetic conviction. Whether it’s exposing government overreach, defending constitutional freedoms, or connecting the dots the mainstream media ignores, The Dan Bongino Show provides in-depth analysis of the issues shaping America today. Each episode features sharp commentary, deep dives into breaking news, and behind-the-scenes insight you won’t hear anywhere else. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dan-bongino-show/id965293227?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sftHO603JaFqpuQBEZReL?si=PBlx46DyS5KxCuCXMOrQvw Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/bongino?e9s=src_v1_sa%2Csrc_v4_sa_o
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.